Seattle, Washington – A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula late Tuesday, shaking the Russian Far East and sending tsunami advisories racing across the entire U.S. West Coast and Hawaii as waves arrived overnight.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake hit at 4:25 p.m. PDT, unleashing immediate tsunami warnings for the Pacific. Waves as high as 5.7 feet reached Kahului, Maui, and smaller surges swept through Hilo, Honolulu, and Alaska’s Aleutian coast. Emergency agencies from Washington to California urged coastal residents to avoid beaches, harbors, and marinas until further notice.
For weeks, the region off Kamchatka has seen unusual seismic activity, but this quake was exceptional—among the strongest globally in years. The initial shock was followed by dozens of aftershocks, many exceeding magnitude 5.0, into early Wednesday, further rattling nerves from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the Pacific Northwest. In Seattle, Astoria, and coastal communities up and down Oregon and California, emergency management agencies remained on high alert, with the National Tsunami Warning Center updating advisories through the night. Strong currents and minor flooding were observed, and all mariners were advised to remain in port.
Schools and public buildings along the immediate coast stayed closed, with residents from Long Beach, Washington, to Santa Barbara, California, advised to move away from the shoreline. Utilities reported no major outages, but authorities urged everyone to charge devices, prepare emergency kits, and monitor official alerts.
Tsunami advisories remain in effect for U.S. Pacific coastal regions until conditions stabilize. Aftershocks are likely for days. Further updates will be provided hourly by the National Tsunami Warning Center and local emergency officials.
